South Africa’s local government system could soon undergo major changes as the revised Draft White
Paper on Local Government has officially been opened for public comment by the Department of
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The review aims to fix long-standing problems in
municipalities — from poor service delivery and corruption to political interference and failing
infrastructure. One of the biggest talking points is the push for more capable, accountable and professional municipal leadership. Proposed reforms include competency-based recruitment, clearer separation between politicians and administrators, stronger ethical oversight, and assigning powers based on a municipality’s actual capacity to deliver.